Some of the effects of the Johnson Center’s green roof include reduced noise, cooler temperatures, and better air flow.
Did you know: the city of Chicago can be more than two degrees hotter than the surrounding suburbs due to a “heat island effect”? The effect describes the phenomenon of large cities trapping heat within their crowded streets and tall, metal buildings.
While two degrees may not sound like much, the slight change in temperature can heat up buildings and waterways just enough to harm the animal and human life that live within them.
One feature of the Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center is a green roof that covers the top of the sustainably built structure with native plants and shrubs, cooling the ceilings below and slowing rainwater from running off the building. The added landscaping gives water enough time to cool down before draining back into the nearby river.
Students can feel the effects of the green roof—such as reduced noise, cooler temperatures, and better air flow–while walking around the Johnson Center.